Stitches for vaginal tearing and pain relief

I gave birth to our daughter 16 days ago, and sustained quite extensive 2nd degree vaginal/labial tears (4 separate tears all up). My stitches are feeling quite 'angry' and I'm in a lot of pain each day - I'm still on painkillers and can't really cope without them just yet. I gave birth without any pain relief, so I think I have a pretty high pain threshold (so this pain is worrying me).

I went to see my GP today to get him to check the healing and to make sure everything was ok. He did a (excruciating) speculum exam, and noted that the internal stitches are done in silk and will not dissolve on their own. The hospital told me that the stitches were dissolvable....My GP says he will ring the hospital and quiz the obstetric registrar because he thinks I will need to have them taken out.

Does anyone have any experience with non-dissolvable stitches for vaginal tears? Did you have them taken out?

For people who have had stitches for extensive tearing, how long did you need to take painkillers for, and what did you take? The hospital suggested 2 x panadol and 1 x voltaren every 8 hours, but my GP seems to think the voltaren is a bad idea...

I'd appreciate hearing about others' experiences - it's so confusing and I'm worried I'm sorer than I should be.

Hi OP. I'm so sorry to hear that you have so much pain. I gave birth 6 weeks ago with a small episiotomy and stitches were dissolvable. I wasn't in nearly as much pain as you but was prescribed voltaren 8 hourly with panadine 2 hourly by my OB. The voltaren helps with swelling as well. I was also given ice packs initially to put under maternity pads which was also helpful with swelling and pain. I'm not sure if the ice will be as useful to you now. Good luck I hope you feel better soon

I had quite bad 2nd & 3rd degree tears with all 3 of my kids and I remember the pain well. I only needed panadol for pain relief and only took it for a couple of days, and only really took it so I could sleep properly...I might be strange though because most people I know took painkillers much stronger and for longer than I needed to lol

My stitches were disolvable each time, both internal & external. I did have a few that came undone after DD was born so I pulled them out myself LOL

unfortunately stitches hurt most just before they're about to burst. but, i was on mega painkillers after DD (i had 2nd degree with her, and 3rd with DS) because the accidently caught a nerve in the stitches. it took about 3-4 weeks for that to fix itself and in that time i was on 12+ painkillers a day (and they only just took the edge off the pain)

i cant help anymore then the ladies have already, but my midwife suggests a pad with a little water on it, and frozen to help with the pain, she did the for my post birth. helped heaps. Hope they have some solutions for you.

I had 2nd degree tearing with my son and had dissolvable stitches and really didn't have much pain at all. My Ob insisted on giving me a script for panadeine forte before I left hospital but I didn't use it. I didn't use any pain relief whilst in hospital post birth either.

My hospital kept maternity pads in the freezer and we could grab these to use when needed. I also remember covering a small ice pack with a plastic bag and shoving it down my undies on one day when I was feeling tender.

Hope you work out what is going on - dealing with a newborn is hard enough, let alone having to deal with your pain.

i had second degree tear requiring stitching and some labial grazes with no stithes and after the first couple of days really didnt bother me at all. I remember it feeling swollen down there, especially if i sat down for too long but really no pain. bit of itchiness just before they dissolved/healed.

I thought I'd pop back and update this thread 8 months on just in case it comes up in any other new mother's search on tearing.

In the end, the doctor at the hospital missed a few stitches and I ended up going back to my GP about 2 days later as I was still very uncomfortable and was still bleeding red blood. My GP removed the last few. I felt better immediately and my bleeding 100% stopped that afternoon.

I later found out that dissolvable stitches should have started to break down substantially after 11 days - so, if yours haven't don't be shy to have them checked. Mine had started to grow over Don't be as patient as I was!!

Despite my fears that I was going to be damaged 'down there' forever, DH and I DTD just before my 6 week checkup (I remember being mortified when my GP started the DTD conversation with 'I guess after such big tears you haven't tried to....' Queue a very embarrassed couple, LOL).

Everything is fine now, and I only get a few dull aches on days I'm very tired or have spent a long time standing up.

Anyway, no real point to my post other than to update, urge others to get things checked out if they're hurting, and encourage others that things generally work out in the end.

You poor thing, I couldn't imagine anything more uncomfortable for a new mum to have to put up with. Thanks for posting your update as it will help new mums keep an eye on their health "down there". FWIW, I always tell women to present to their GP with ongoing or increasing pain from their stitches. You really shouldn't be experiencing anything too intense, even past the first week postnatal.

In spite of being in an almost constant state of motion while looking after the kids and trying to keep things together at home, it can seem as though parents have managed to get nothing on the to-do list done by the end of the day.

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